In a railway car, primary and secondary suspension systems are employed. The primary suspension system generally refers to the suspension between the journal assembly and the truck frame. The secondary suspension system generally refers to the suspension, such as air or mechanical springs, between a bolster on the truck and the car body. The present invention is directed to primary suspension systems.
Such primary suspension systems have taken numerous different forms, generally involving metal springs on sliding devices. Some so-called "soft" primary systems have springs on both ends and include gears for controlling the movements of the axle journals up and down. With these arrangements, shock absorbers or other damping means must be employed.
It is the object of this invention to provide an improved primary suspension system in a railway car.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved soft primary suspension system for a railway car which minimizes wayside noise and vibrations and which minimizes damage to the track.
It is still a further object of this invention to provide an improved primary suspension system which does not require bottom metal springs or sliding devices.